Peloponnesos, Argos. AR Hemidrachm

Peloponnesos, Argos. AR Hemidrachm, circa 270–250 BC. Obv. Wolf’s protome left; Θ above. Rev. Large A within recessed field; above, Δ – E; below, eagle on harpa. 14 mm, 2.58 g. BMC 79; SNG Copenhagen 36; HGC 5, 670. Attractive dark cabinet tone.

Struck in the early Hellenistic period, this neat hemidrachm preserves the long-standing Argive emblem of the wolf, a type traditionally linked to the city’s legendary founder Danaos and the wolf–bull omen that allegedly fixed the site of Argos. The bold protome on the obverse is engraved in a compact, vigorous style, characteristic of Peloponnesian silver of the third century BC. On the reverse, the large A serves as the civic initial of Argos, set within a recessed field that recalls earlier incuse traditions. The letters Δ – E in the upper field are control marks or magistrates’ initials, while the eagle on harpa below adds a striking mythological note, perhaps alluding to Heraklid or Zeus-related cults in the Argive sphere. A pleasing and well toned Argive fraction, combining clear civic symbolism with a distinctive and attractive Hellenistic design.